Thermal energy is one of the most common forms of energy existing in nature and may result from processes such as combustion. Heat is a form of thermal energy which results from the transfer of thermal energy from a system having a higher temperature to a system having a lower temperature. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs), or thermoelectric devices, are devices that are capable of directly converting heat into electricity. TEG modules, which can be in the form of a strip, can be attached to stoves, fireplaces, or furnaces to harvest thermal energy for providing electricity as a supplement or an alternative source. Current TEG strips have somewhat helped to alleviate wasted heat by converting the wasted heat into electricity; however, current applications of TEGs are rudimentary and not fully effective. Their efficiency is subject to various environmental settings,
In North America, it is common to use natural gas to generate hot water and/or hot air for domestic uses. In fact, nearly 70% of single family homes use natural gas for heating purposes. Besides being abundant, natural gas has an advantage over petroleum or coal, as natural gas burns cleanly without producing harmful chemicals like sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide into the air. Although natural gas and electricity in a given local area are regularly provided by the same energy company, they are typically sold and delivered to households as two separate products using two separate delivery infrastructures (e.g., power lines vs. gas lines). The inability of end customers to easily convert one product into another, results in economic and engineering inefficiencies. Therefore, it is beneficial to enable a user to selectively generate electricity from a controllable heat source.